Photo: thefanmanifesto.com
Skip Bayless is the analyst everyone loves to hate. If you have followed ESPN or Fox Sports at all, you are likely aware of Skip’s controversial takes. From the constant bashing of LeBron to the fearlessly bold predictions, Skip has certainly made his mark on the sports media world. Most sports analysts are wrong from time to time, but Skip seems to have a natural talent for it. Looking back at his old Tweets and First Take segments leads to things that make you laugh out loud and seriously question what in the world he was thinking. To have some fun, I decided to go through the archive and rank the top five worst predictions Skip Bayless has made. Grab the popcorn, you’re in for a treat!
Honorable Mentions:
Skip says the Cowboys should have drafted Cardale Jones over Dak Prescott
Jerry Jones is covering backside by regretting not landing Paxton Lynch? He should be more worried about taking Dak Prescott over Cardale.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 2, 2016
Considering that Cardale Jones is already out of the league, where Dak Prescott is on the verge of signing a long term extension, Skip should let Jerry Jones be the GM of his beloved team.
RG3 will be better than Aaron Rodgers
One day Robert Griffin III will be a better QB than Aaron Rodgers, again No. 1 on Jaws' list. RG3: No. 13!? Love you, Ron, but ...
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) July 22, 2013
While this take has aged rather badly considering RG3 is a backup for the Ravens where Rodgers just completed another MVP level season, it does not make the cut for top 5 due to injuries derailing RG3’s promising career. Would he be better than Rodgers without the injury? Probably not. But injuries did prevent us from truly finding out how much crack Skip was smoking when he tweeted this.
Top 5 Cold Takes:
5. Skip would rather have Josh Freeman as a QB over Cam Newton
Long term give me Josh Freeman over Cam. Better leader, more consistent passer, more clutch, more poised under fire, more careful with ball.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) November 16, 2012
Skip tweeted this out in 2012. After that 2012 season concluded, Josh Freeman never played another full season again. He started three games in 2013 before falling out with the coach and missing the team photo ended up being his final straw, as he was never successful again. Cam Newton on the other hand, only got better after the 2012 season and went on to win the NFL MVP award in 2015 and lead Carolina to their second ever Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. And even though he has lost a step, he was still a starting QB in the league this season, playing six more seasons after Freeman’s career fizzled out. So Skip, would you still take Freeman long term?
4. Derek Fisher would make a better coach than Steve Kerr
Derek Fisher will prove to be a much better NBA head coach than Steve Kerr.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 10, 2014
The lone NBA prediction on here, this one has aged very poorly for Skip but very well for us cold take enthusiasts. As many of you probably recall, Derek Fisher was, to put it mildly, an awful head coach. His short lived stint is overshadowed by the infamous fight with Matt Barnes which was a humiliating and childish situation for the Knicks, even for their standards. Considering Steve Kerr helped the Warriors dynasty win three championship rings, I’d say that even Derek Fisher himself agrees Steve Kerr is the more talented coach.
3. Says Tim Tebow has more upside than Andrew Luck
I KNOW what Tebow can do in the NFL. I've seen it over/over/over. I'm not sure what Andrew Luck can do or if he has Tebow's It Factor
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 27, 2012
For the first Tim Tebow take, Skip said pre-draft that he was unsure about Andrew Luck as an NFL prospect and that he didn’t think he had Tebow’s it factor. While Luck’s injuries unfortunately shortened his tenure in the league, he flashed much more passing ability in his worst season than Tebow did in his entire career. Tebow played one more season before he was out of the league, as his fourth quarter heroics Skip fawned over proved to be a fluke.
2. Skip takes Tebow over Brady in the fourth quarter of a game
Skip’s fascination with Tim Tebow continues with this next one, and he went even farther on First Take to say that he would rather have Tebow at the end of a game than Tom Brady. Stephen A Smith’s reaction is priceless, and Brady continues to make this take even more comical by the second as his team in Tampa Bay has just punched their ticket to the Super Bowl, giving Brady a chance at a seventh ring. Maybe Tebow can win his own rings in double A baseball and give Skip something.
1. Manziel will be a bigger name in Cleveland than LeBron
Out of all the cold takes Skip has, this one takes the cake for the coldest. In a First Take segment that is straight comedy gold, Skip goes on to say that every team that passed on Manziel will “forever regret it,” along with the statement that Manziel and Josh Gordon will lead Cleveland to many playoff appearances. But best of all, Skip says that Manziel will go on to be a bigger name in Cleveland than LeBron ever was in the city of Cleveland. If Skip was referring to the Cleveland nightclub scene, this statement would be accurate. Since he isn’t, this will go down as his coldest take and possibly the most inaccurate sports prediction in history by an established name.
This is hilarious! I agree with many of these. I have often thought Skip is either the dumbest analyst or the most genius. His takes are so over the top controversial i have to believe that is on purpose and his is just baiting everyone else to stir the pot. The guy is a millionaire so he is doing something right.